


I'm Horrible At This

by Inky_minzy



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Confessions, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Making Up, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 15:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18995284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inky_minzy/pseuds/Inky_minzy
Summary: Aloha and Army's relationship improving.Aloha doesn't know how to handle liking someone for once.Army can't communicate for shit.They fight. Not really. Aloha is just impulsive.(A/N: I want something sweet.)True Love by P!NK





	I'm Horrible At This

**Author's Note:**

> I was rolling a small snowball. It fucking rolled down the hill and destroyed lives. The end. This was basically what was going through my head as I wrote this, so honestly I apologize.

_Infamously considered the heartthrob of Inkopolis, Aloha didn't need to lift a finger to have anyone's attention. He could look a girl a certain way and have her in his arms. The occasional boy, Aloha swung both ways. Best of both worlds, yeah?_

_So having gotten used to having whoever whenever, could you blame a guy for not accepting that someone did not find him attractive? Like at all? That even though he went out of his way to get this person's attention, they insisted they wanted nothing to do with him? And rubbing salt in his wounded pride by insulting him?_

_Inkopolis Plaza's playboy rejected, it was the end of Aloha's career! The pink inkling had stood in shock, his team had dropped into hysterics when it had happened. Aloha, the Aloha! Rejected by no one other than Army._

_**~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~** _

_Aloha considered Army a stick in the mud. He'd remembered becoming part of the S4, not necessarily having to, but attempting to befriend the other leaders. Skull didn't seem to like him, nor dislike him, but respected him in battle nonetheless and he could get behind that. Mask had flat out refused to associate with him, but Aloha didn't mind. Then there was Army._

_When they'd first met, the orange teen had only chanced a glance and sized him in that instance. It gnawed at Aloha, rubbing him in all the wrong ways. Army called him, "A party animal." Aloha took it as a compliment. Afterwards they hadn't made an effort to get to know each other._

_"His loss." Aloha scoffed, his team agreeing whole heartedly as they'd planned their next party. Except… Was it really Army's loss when Aloha was feeling the way he did?_

_Aloha had chalked up his feeling towards Army to be a challenge. It was new for Aloha to feel he couldn't have someone's attention, so it prompted him to give his and hopefully be returned the favor. That was all._

_**~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~** _

_Army was difficult, Aloha found early on. Every attempt he'd made at conversation ended with Army telling him to shut up. That annoyed Aloha to no end._

_It had become a back and forth kind of thing. Aloha would corner Army and hope to have the other look at him for more than a dismissive glare. Army in return would drill it quite rudely into Aloha that he didn't find his company amusing._

_S4 meetings were fun. Aloha was trying to be sarcastic. Really, the meetings were boring, he didn't see a point! But if it meant sitting across from Army? The other would have to look at him. So then began another back and forth._

_Army couldn't dismiss him at meetings, all S4 members had to acknowledge each other and discuss amongst themselves of climbing ranks, competitors and anything else they found interesting. Begrudgingly Army would sit through Aloha's speeches, catching the pink eyed teen's eyes and quickly averting them away._

_**~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~** _

_He'd remembered once mentioning a party he was hosting and that he wanted all their teams to join. Skull shrugged and had replied he'd attempt to attend. Mask wasn't for it, but would relay the invitation to his teammates and decide then if he'd join. Army had… Flat out rejected._

_"My team and I have much more important things to do during the evening." Had been his excuse, pointedly avoiding Aloha's stare. The visor wearing inkling frowned, "Loosen up Army, you could have some fun for once-'_

_"Fun? And now why would I want that? I am Army, I have no such business in that party environment. I rather be at home or in battle, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." And with that, the meeting was concluded. Uninterested, Skull had abandoned the scene. Not wanting to witness anything and possibly be wrapped up, Mask had gone too, wheezing encouragement to Aloha._

_Dissatisfied, the pink teen stood and caught up to Army, catching the teen's wrist and spinning him to face Aloha. "What's your problem?" Aloha hissed, receiving an unimpressed look from Army. The orange inkling glared, "If you must ask, my problem is currently standing before me and quite frankly, getting on my last nerve."_

_"Your last nerve? Well you're on mine! Everytime I try to include you or hang out with you, you shut me down!"_

_"Have you ever considered I have no interest in you or your antics? I know who you are Aloha and pardon me, but you disgust me." Army gritted out, pulling his wrist free and swiftly turning away from Aloha. The teen had blanked. Stared after Army and before he'd thought better of it, turned the other to face him and slugged him fast._

_Army stumbled back, eyes wide in shock, the force having disoriented the teen. He looked up at Aloha, and for once he held eye contact with him. It was so bittersweet, Aloha was finally being looked at, yet it wasn't the look he had wanted to see. Rage, humiliation, hurt, and tears._

_Quick to compose himself, Army straightened his back and stared above Aloha, blinking several times to clear his sight and hoarsely clear his throat. When he'd finally looked at Aloha, the teen flinched at the smile Army threw at him. It was the first time Aloha had seen him smile._

_Lip split and orange ink dribbling from the cut, Army dabbed gingerly at the wound with a hum. "Enjoy your day, Aloha." Army said quietly, turning away hesitantly and running off. Aloha felt he had no right to chase him._

_**~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~** _

_Days turned into weeks, turned into a month. Ever since the incident, Army had been avoiding Aloha moreso than he'd already done before. He wouldn't even attend S4 meetings, which had stopped being hosted by him and Aloha had asked if anyone still spoke to Army. Skull nodded, but offered nothing. Mask shrugged, "Nope."_

_Aloha was distressed. He looked back at it now, he'd blamed Army the first few days, but a month now without hearing from him? It was concerning and Aloha felt… Guilty._

_He still saw Army occasionally, but he could never get close. Army visited the Plaza only to battle and battle. Aloha had even stumbled into a lobby against the Orange Team. He'd readied his weapon, breathed to himself it was a battle and that trying to engage Army in conversation wouldn't get far. He won that match. The Orange Team exited the lobby fast. Aloha didn't think it was a victory._

_**~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~** _

_Aloha remembers hearing about it now, unrelated to his dilemma, Aloha had been wondering the Plaza when-_

_"Rider lost? To the Blue Team?"_

_Aloha was all for gossip and he'd gotten in with some girls about the news. Rider, Aloha had heard the name amongst the S4. A Golden Dynamo main, skilled, he could rival each and every individual S4 member, but he wasn't quite at their level. Yet._

_When Aloha had heard he lost, he was surprised. Not only that, but defeated by a gang of fools. The Blue Team was a joke! Aloha smiled with interest anyways, he had to wonder if they had potential. They looked fun._

_It was sometime afterwards, while watching some Turf Wars on the Plaza's screen, that a match was announced. Blue Team vs. Orange Team. Aloha choked on his drink, turning his full attention to the battle on screen. It was that little gang that beat Rider and now they were fighting Army's team._

_They have no chance, Aloha thought. But to his bafflement he was wrong. Blue had turned the tables on Orange, he'd never seen Army so flustered before and mercilessly he'd been splatted for all to see. Aloha's jaw dropped._

_After the battle, Aloha could see both teams meet at the end. Army was begrudgingly accepting defeat, but had looked up toward an excitable blue inkling. Aloha recognised the goggles wearing kid as Goggles, the name was gaining reputation in the Plaza._

_There was a brief exchange between Army and Goggles, where Aloha witnessed it again. Army smiled. Not the smile he had when Aloha punched him, but it was rather soft. He couldn't understand what it is that had been said, but Army looked to be genuinely content. Even though he'd lost._

_It was after the incident that Aloha received a text on his Squid phone. An S4 meeting tomorrow… Army was inviting them out for lunch. Aloha didn't understand._

_The S4 did meetup again and Aloha was… Confused. Army smiled a little easier now, Skull engaging him in conversation and even Mask had joined._

_"How've you've been, Aloha?" The teen in question jumped, bewildered when Army had turned to him. Turned to him and locked eyes. Aloha swallowed. "Good." He stuttered. Something was so weird about this._

_"I'm glad." Army returned and like that, it's as if nothing had happened and Army was changed. The most significant change being his light hearted personality compared to how strict he once was. Though occasionally he'd snap. And then even in battle, Aloha took note that Army didn't handle his Squid Net Manual like he once did._

_"Intuition, Aloha. I feel it's most fun when you don't know what's going to happen." Army had said one day, Aloha didn't know what had changed. Had it been that Blue Team? Aloha would have to investigate…_

_Investigate he did. After an undercover mission, a battle and defeat later, Aloha stared at Blue Team's Goggles. The bright eyed inkling laughed, "That was fun!"_

_Fun. Aloha always had fun when he played a battle. "You're cool blue." He returned._

_Mystery solved, Aloha began to make sense of Army's change. He was still Army, but softer around the edges. The teen had fun. Genuine fun for once and it completely changed his perspective. Aloha would thank the Blue Team one day. But he'd almost wished he'd been the one to introduce 'fun' to Army._

_Army befriended the S4 and by extension, Aloha assumed Army and him were friends. The orange teen looked at Aloha one day, "Y'know, I was convinced that upon first meeting you, I was going to hate you."_

_Aloha frowned, "Didn't you?"_

_Instead of answering him, Army stood to the side with an awkward look, seeming unsure whether to respond. Hesitantly he began, "I convinced myself I did. The truth was, I never could."_

_Now Aloha was confused, because he was convinced Army hated him. "You said… You said I disgusted you, Army. That you didn't want to have anything to do with me and when I tried-!' Aloha hadn't noticed he'd raised his voice until Army flinched away._

_Aloha could see it, the way Army covered his face, cupping his mouth and Aloha was reminded of the day he'd punched Army. The orange eyed inkling breathed for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts and think of his next words._

_Army didn't hate Aloha, how could he? Army was a lot of things, but he couldn't hate someone. No matter how strongly he felt at times. He just simply couldn't express himself. Bad at feelings, they called it._

_From the beginning Army had found Aloha to be… Of interesting character. Eye catching, one couldn't quite ignore him being that the pink teen demanded attention. Until Army. If asked why, Army couldn't answer. But he'd taken one look at Aloha and had decided he would do everything it'd take to be different._

_So he'd done what he could, ignoring whatever feelings he'd developed for the flamboyant teen in a visor. Aloha was popular, Army would know. He could see it as soon as Aloha had turned his attention to him. Army didn't take kindly to it._

_"You disgust me." Army grimaced, having been one of the meaner things he'd said to Aloha. He was upset, he'd been followed and thought insulting Aloha would make the other leave him alone. It didn't._

_Army remembers the hit. It had been so sudden, his body hadn't registered it and neither had he. Then it begun to sting. The rush of emotions and the pain prompted tears. Because even after it all, it wasn't the fact he'd gotten hit that upset him so. It didn't make him hate Aloha as he should, but rather he felt those damn feelings grow._

_Confused and honestly concerned with how he'd felt, Army withdrew. He'd told himself it was because he was mad. So he did as he'd already been doing, avoid Aloha._

_He remembered the inconvenient match up, Pink vs. Orange. Army had laid back, avoided most the conflict, but inked as he should during a Turf War. They'd lost and exited the lobby, Army not feeling as defeated as he should have._

_**~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~** _

_Army wasn't sure how long he was hoping to avoid the other, but things had changed after his first real loss. The Blue Team really shook up Army, especially Goggles' view on battles._

_"It's fun because you don't know what will happen." He never thought he'd learn from his mistakes. No, rather that revelation had changed him for the better. It was like that saying, "A leap of faith." No one knew where they were going, what kind of actions they'd take and if those actions mattered._

_"Fun." Army repeated. "Now why would I want that?" He laughed, blown into the feeling of elation Goggles had described to him._

_It was after that things followed in order. Finally arranging an S4 meeting, getting used to the sore feeling that'd settle on his cheeks from smiling as easily as he did now. Meeting Aloha and actually finding common ground. Friends. Army had been happy._

_"You hated me." Aloha said._

_Army frowned deeply, "I've never hated you, Aloha. I feel I was being unfair, yes." Aloha sniffed, "Unfair. Yeah, or maybe it was karma. Y'know, I decide to like someone and they hate me. Then things seem all fine and dandy when it doesn't change the things you said."_

_"It doesn't change the things you did either. Yet I've forgiven it without having you apologize." Aloha paused at that. "I tried blaming you." He confessed._

_Smiling sadly, Army stepped forward and put a hand to Aloha's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I like you too."_

_"So do you hate me, or do you like me?" Aloha whispered. Army rolled his eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you I didn't hate you?"_

_"Prove it." Aloha smiled crookedly, holding Army's hand on his shoulder and moving to stand closer before the other teen. Army huffed, "Some other time." He offered, taking Aloha's hand and lacing their fingers._

_Aloha stuttered with surprise, squeezing Army's hand in his own with a disbelieving laugh. "You hate me."_

_Army chuckled, "Keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll come to terms with the fact I really don't."_

_"So that must mean you really like me?" Aloha teased. Army hummed, "You're getting warmer."_

_"Do you love me?"_

_"Don't get too full of yourself darling, we'll get there."_

**Author's Note:**

> You actually read it, let me get you some marshmallows because holy shit, I lost my way with this one. But I was itching to write, I love these two and it shit balled. So hopefully the next thing I write, whether more Aloha/Army or something else, turns out stable. Thank you for reading!


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